Their Night Out
by Bells of Tomorrow
Summary: Now that mentor and protege are closer at work, JD decides it'd be nice if they were closer outside of work too. SEQUEL to "His Silent Treatment."
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: _**_Due to many requests, I went ahead and wrote a sequel to, "His Silent Treatment." This will probably just have three chapters like the last one, because I'm working on some other Scrubs stories as well. Anyway, I hope you guys like it!_

**_Disclaimer: _**_I own nothing. All belongs to the awesomeness that is Bill Lawrence. _

**Their Night Out**

From an outsider's perspective, it wouldn't have looked as though the relationship between JD and Dr. Cox had changed all that much since their imprisonment in the elevator; an incident that took place only a week ago. Dr. Cox still insisted upon calling JD "Newbie" and a variation of girls' names on a daily basis. He still ranted and still found himself getting red in the face, but the both of them felt…different.

JD had long ago came to his own conclusion that Dr. Cox's habit of calling him a girls name was actually a sign of endearment, but now he didn't feel like he was telling himself that just to make him feel better anymore. He also felt that his mentor's rants were more out of show than actual anger as of late, at least the ones directed towards him.

Dr. Cox felt a lot less guilt ridden after throwing an insult, knowing Newbie _knew_ that he didn't really dislike him. He was also able to call on him more often than before, because now if anyone asked why he wanted him there when there was seemingly no need for his presence, the answer was simple: "I'm his mentor. He has to be with me to learn." And then, of course, JD would grin broadly, reminding Dr. Cox not to forget the extra comment that made this new custom feel a bit more normal. "And Sally here re-_heel_-y does need a teacher, 'cause God only knows he's not ready to do this by himself."

So life inside Sacred Heart had stepped up a notch according to JD, but outside of the hospital, well…he wanted more.

"Okay, so Dr. Cox, who is, you know…my mentor –"

"I know, JD!" Turk half shouted. He was happy for him, okay, but he was just about ready to pop a vessel if his friend found one more excuse to openly refer to Dr. Cox as his mentor in any given conversation. This new habit of his had been going on since the elevator occurrence, and it was starting to wear Turk out. "He's your mentor. Got it. Trust me. So what about him?"

JD squirmed on the couch of the apartment, realizing he had referred to Dr. Cox as his mentor just one too many times. "My bad, C-bear. But, um…anyway – I want to go out and throw back a couple of beers with him, you know? I've been wanting that for years, but every time he says no."

"Well, he did ask you that one time."

"Yeah, but that was his once a year rampage."

"But what about the other time? You know…when you were still living in a tent."

JD cocked an eyebrow at Turks grin, but blew it off to continue with his logic. "Yeah, it was kind of cool at the time, but it was really obvious that Elliot and Carla had pushed him into asking me. When someone says no to going out for a round, and the person who asked responds by lifting his eyes to the ceiling just to say 'Thank God,' you get the impression it wasn't all too sincere."

Turk pushed down a laugh as JD continued. "I want to just, you know, go out without the pressure or obligation, from his end I mean."

"So just try asking him again."

"I'm going to, but I no if he says no this time I'm going to be more upset than the countless other times I tried, and I'd rather not feel completely bummed out."

"Why would you feel more upset about being rejected this time around?"

"Because I haven't asked him anything like that since he first gave me that hug, you know? He seemed really serious when he asked if those were the things I really wanted from him, and he's even let me call him mentor since."

JD stopped as Turk closed his eyes in minor annoyance. "Which, I mean…well, you already know that. But anyway, what about all the other stuff? Would he actually agree to come out with me one night or would he turn it down again? If it happened any other time I could shrug it off as him being him, but if it happens this time, I know I'm going to reach the conclusion that he must _really_ not want to have to spend time with me outside of work."

"Just ask him casually, man. Don't make it into such a big deal when you come to him about it."

"Mmm…that's a good idea. Thanks, Turk."

"No problem, bro. But if we could stop talking and un-pause this episode of Gilmore Girls, I'd appreciate it."

"Hell yeah!"

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about."

--

Carla watched as JD approached the nurses' station looking anxious, his hands wringing together in anticipation for whatever it was that was making him jittery.

"Good morning, Bambi. Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Why?"

"Because you're looking a bit on edge, that's why. Something on your mind? Come on, you know you can tell me."

"I know, I just… it's Dr. Cox."

The nurse raised her eyebrows in genuine surprise. "Really? I thought things have been more relaxed between the two of you since last week." Carla could feel her cheeks turn red with the knowledge that neither JD or Dr. Cox knew that it had been her plan to hold up the elevator with the two doctors trapped inside.

"Yeah, things are okay. I'm just nervous because I plan on asking him out for a beer sometime soon."

"Why are you so nervous about that?"

JD went into his reasoning that he had explained to Turk the night before. Carla nodded understandingly, seeming to get his train of thought just a bit better than her husband. "Just be sure not to make a big deal of it."

"Yeah, I know. Turk told me the same thing. But what if me asking him annoys him to the point where it cancels everything else out? This whole week and the elevator thing, I mean."

"I don't think he'd take back everything he said. He was really sincere when he hugged you like that, so I think you'll be alright."

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Carla."

"Don't mention it, Bambi."

Suddenly, a very loud whistle broke through the nurses' station, making everyone jump just ever so slightly. "Newbie! You're late!"

JD turned to the clock. Five after nine. Wait, then that meant… "No I'm not! _You_ are!"

"No I'm not."

"Wh – yes you are!"

"No I'm not. I'm not because I say I'm not and you are because I say you are. Understand, Tina? Now, let's get a move on." Dr. Cox grabbed the chart from Carla's hand, giving her a small nod of acknowledgement before briskly making his way down the hall, his protégé in tow.

It was Mr. Berningham again. He had gotten through surgery well and was now cancer free, but unfortunately, he seemed to have a bit of an allergic reaction to some of the drugs given to him while under the knife.

"Why didn't this happen right away?" he asked curiously.

JD sat on the side of the bed as Dr. Cox went about checking the man's vitals. "Sometimes allergic reactions take weeks to actually make an appearance. Depending what caused it or how it entered the body, a reaction could take place in a mere second or even a month's time."

"I didn't know that…"

JD opened his mouth to continue speaking before Dr. Cox interjected. "Well now you do, Skippo."

Mr. Berningham looked at JD with questioning eyes.

"He likes nicknames," he answered.

"Oh…"

"Newbie, come."

JD stood from the bed and followed his mentor out of the room and down the hall. When they ended up at Coffee Bucks, the young doctor couldn't help but feel a little surprised. "Why are we here? Don't we have more patients to see?"

"Indeed we do, Tiffany, but I haven't had my morning coffee yet and I'm going to need it to get through today."

"Bad morning?"

Dr. Cox scowled at what he thought was a really obvious question, but answered nonetheless. "Yes and no. Jordan's off to her mother's cave for the weekend and she took the kids with her. While that _does_ give me a break from the she-devil that is my ex-wife, I'm…well, I'm bored."

JD stared at the back of his mentor's head as he gave his order to a nervous looking employee. This was perfect! Dr. Cox had no one at home – he'd be bored, and while he'd never admit it, lonely. He'd want something to do for the night, and maybe even someone to hang out with.

"Newbie, pay attention!"

"Huh?" JD blinked, realizing it was his turn to order. He saw his mentor give him a strange look out of the corner of his eye after he told the man what he wanted.

"Since when do you drink your coffee black?"

"What? I don't."

"…You just ordered a plain coffee."

"What?"

"Newbie, he asked you if you wanted cream and sugar, and you said, 'No. Just coffee.'"

"Oh…"

Dr. Cox stared at him, looking slightly amused, yet one of his eyebrows was raised in that confused and possibly concerned fashion. "A bit more spacey than usual today, Tula?"

"No, I just…hey, are you really that bored?"

Dr. Cox furrowed his eyebrows. He wasn't sure if he liked where this is going… "Why?" he asked sharply.

"Because - " then JD paused. He realized then that if he worded it to sound as though Dr. Cox wanted a night out, he'd most likely turn down the offer, but if he made it seem like he was the one who wanted it, which he honestly did, he might be more inclined to take him up.

A very piercing whistle broke through his train of thought. "Newbie, we haven't got all day. What do you want?"

"Oh, right. Well, I have nothing to do after work, and it doesn't look like you do either. Want to go out for a couple of beers?"

The older doctor wasn't all too surprised. In fact, he was more surprised it took the kid a whole week to ask him. He had been expecting this request ever since the elevator incident. He had just been expecting it a lot sooner. While he knew it was coming eventually, he still hadn't figured out for himself whether or not he'd say yes or no. If he said yes, would Newbie become even clingier? Prancing around the place as if they were best friends, no doubt. No, that job was taken by Milk Dud, thank God. _His_ job was to be that fatherly figure, right? Damn…this was hard. If he said no, the kid would probably take it harder than all of the other thousands of times he turned him down. And while it remained true that he actually never _promised_ him anything, the message behind what took place during their imprisonment was clear. And honestly…did he really dislike the idea of going out for a round with his protégé as much as he liked to believe he did…?

JD watched as his mentor brought his hand to the bridge of his nose, digging the tips in deep while his eyes scrunched shut in frustration. Probably not the best of responses over such a simple question… "Listen, Dr. Cox, its okay. I'll just see what Turk is up to and –"

"No, Newbie, I'll go."

"What? Really?"

Dr. Cox opened his eyes, giving JD a look that flashed a warning. "Don't make a big deal out of this, Theresa. Oh, and when we're out, no describing a drink as 'Yucky,' understand?"

JD let out a lopsided grin at the memory. "Yup."

"Okay then. Be a good girl and go get our next patient's chart."

"But my coffee hasn't come yet."

"You wouldn't be able to drink it black anyway. I'll tell them to throw some sugary crap in there and meet you in the patient's room."

"You're buying me coffee!?"

Dr. Cox gave him another strict glare. "Bringing isn't buying, and I'm only taking the coffee in which you ordered incorrectly and fixing it for you. However, if you don't do what I just asked in the next two seconds, you'll just get a large cup of nothing, understand?"

JD nodded and shot off towards the nurses' station, not bothering to correct his mentor's mistake.

"That'll be 2.50 sir."

"What?"

"The coffee - That'll be 2.50."

Dr. Cox stared off in the direction in which his protégé had just sprinted towards. Rat bastard didn't tell him he never paid.

**_A/N:_**_ Not very nice, JD. Not after he finally just agreed to grab some beers with you. Ah, well. Pwnage is pwnage. lol Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed chapter one. Until next time!_


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N:_**_ You guys are amazing, seriously. Your reviews and messages really lift my spirits and keep me going over here, so I thank you guys sincerely. Anyway, enough out of me. On to chapter two!_

**_Disclaimer: _**_I own a very large portion of nothing. _

**Chapter 2:**

JD sprinted towards the nurses' station, half scared half amused at the idea of his mentor chasing after him, coffee splashing to the floor in hot rage at the little stunt he had just pulled. Realizing that Dr. Cox wouldn't risk a burn over two dollars and fifty cents, the young doctor slowed down just in time to grab his next patient's chart.

"In a rush, Bambi?"

"Maybe. We'll see what happens when Dr. Cox meets me in this kid's room. Oh! And he said yes to going out for beers. I'm the man, right!?"

Carla let out a small laugh as JD made his way into his next patient's room. A twelve year old girl awaited him, one broken leg stretched out while the other was curled into her center. "Are you my doctor?"

"That's right, I'm Dr. Dorian. Now how'd this happen - ?" JD glanced down at the chart, "– Melissa?"

"I was playing soccer without shin guards. The girl on the other team went for the ball and missed, hitting my shin."

JD watched as the girl winced in pain while recalling the feel of the broken leg and the loud crack of bone splitting in two. Fortunately for her, she was on enough medication where most of the pain in her broken leg was now completely numb. "Well, you just hang in there. We're going to get you x-rayed to see just how bad the break is, and then we'll get you in a cast, pronto."

"Have you ever broken a bone?"

"Well, there was this one time –"

"For the love of God, Newbie, don't torture this poor kid with your babbling on and on, and on, about how that watermelon seed hit you right in the eye, causing you to blindly flail about until you hit your head _so_ hard against the screen door, you just crashed to the ground and broke your nose."

"Wow! You remembered!"

Dr. Cox scowled. That rant was _not_ supposed to be a compliment, even if he did vaguely remember a story from JD's childhood... Annoyed at the prank from earlier, the curly haired doctor shoved the cup of coffee into his protégés hand, making half of its contents spill onto the floor. "Nice going there, Newbie."

"It wasn't my fault!" JD took a sip defiantly, but was rewarded by a bitter taste that refused to stay in his mouth. He spat onto the floor, watching the black coffee merge with the puddle that had found it's way there only seconds ago. "I thought you said you'd ask them for sugar!"

Dr. Cox grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "I thought you paid."

"Someone spilled something."

Mentor and protégé turned towards the open door of the patients' room to see the Janitor standing tall, looking from JD to the large puddle of coffee on the floor. "You!" he stated accusingly.

"No! _Him!_ Well, okay…the second time was me, but also because of him! …And how'd you know something spilled so quickly?"

"Janitor senses. They tingle."

"Ah…"

Dr. Cox rolled his eyes as he helped Melissa into the wheelchair. "I'm taking her to get her x-ray done. You two play nice now." Sarcastic amusement laced his voice as he pushed the young girl out of the door, leaving a terrified looking JD trapped in a corner of a coffee stained room. Janitor grinned.

--

Twenty minutes later, JD found himself changing into a new pair of scrubs in the locker room. Janitor thought it a good idea to teach JD on how the floor must've felt when he "willingly decided," to spill coffee all over its tender tiles. He still didn't know where he had been hiding it, but the Janitor had pulled out a decent sized cup from Coffee Bucks, letting it fall over JD's head in a way that made him smile to no end. At least it hadn't been piping hot… What was weirder though was what the Janitor had said in response to him asking if that had honestly been necessary.

"More than necessary, actually. I need to cause you double the trouble for the next week or so after doing you that favor. You know, to get back in the game."

JD had stared at him, confusion clearly visible on his face. "What favor? Since when have you _ever_ done me a favor!?"

But he had turned then, his attention grabbed by Kelso who had a sign on his back, probably posted by a dare from one of the interns. With a devilish grin he had followed him down the hallway, and here is where JD found himself now.

"Stupid Janitor…"

"That's not very nice, Bethany."

JD turned around in surprise. Dr. Cox stood behind him, arms crossed with a very small grin of amusement playing at the corner of his mouth. "What's the matter there, Sweetness, did Jumpsuit give you exactly what you gave the floor?"

The young doctor scowled, causing Dr. Cox to let out a small laugh, but it seemed like more of a "calm down," laugh rather than a "I'm going to continue mocking you," laugh. JD's suspicions were confirmed as Dr. Cox continued to speak. "Relax, will you, Newbie? I'm agreeing to down a couple of beers with you tonight. Don't ruin your chances here, because I have all day to take back my RSVP."

"Yeah, yeah… Oh wait! That reminds me: When exactly are we going?"

"After work, remember? Don't tell me I finally gave in and you go ahead and forgot all about it…"

JD had a hard time deciphering whether that was real or fake astonishment. "No, I mean, I get off before you. Am I supposed to meet you somewhere?"

Dr. Cox clearly hadn't thought of that. Damn, going out for drinks should not be such a big deal, but wasn't everything with JD? He swallowed hard, unbelieving of what he was about to say. "I'll come pick you up, and don't you _dare_ crack a smile, Newbie, or so help me."

JD forced down a grin before he spoke. "I've been in your Porsche before though, so it's not a big deal." It was a comment made to shrug off the excitement he felt, giving into Dr. Cox's wish of not wanting the night out to be a huge thing. Too bad he had forgotten exactly just what happened the last time he entered the man's car.

"My seats are _still_ sticky from that Root Beer."

"My bad…"

"Sticky car seats!? Was someone gettin' it on last night? Car-sex high five!"

JD and Dr. Cox looked up at The Todd, covered only in a banana hammock. "Didn't your shift end an hour ago?" the young doctor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Or _did_ it?"

Dr. Cox let his hands drift to his temples as he massaged them slowly. JD closed his locker, ignoring The Todd and shouting at his mentor before leaving the room. "See ya tonight!"

--

JD's hair was twisted and prompted into perfection, or at least it was before he had fallen asleep on the couch. He had been watching TV, waiting for Dr. Cox's shift to end when his own twelve hours caught up to him. Now he was bent on his side, face smashed against the arm rest and TV still blaring.

A very demanding knock shook him out of his slumber, causing him to jump to his feet in surprise. Clumsily, he made himself to the door and threw it open, startled when he came face to face with his mentor.

"Fell asleep?"

"Wha-?"

"Your face."

"_Your_ face!"

Dr. Cox scowled. "That wasn't an insult, Newbie, mainly in that I'm old enough to realize that, that comment makes no sense. What I meant was that your face has sleep marks on it."

JD lifted his hand to his cheek, tracing his fingers along the indentations the material from the couch had left there. "Oh, right. Okay, give me two seconds and I'll just –"

"You'll what, go re-do your hair?"

It wasn't a real question, because both doctors knew that, that was exactly what he had planned on doing. "Listen, Shelly, you're fine. Your hair's a little ruffled and so are your clothes, but that's _fine_, because we're _just_ going to a bar and we're _just_ downing a few beers, got that, Newbie? So it's either follow me out and lock your damn door or go back to sleep. Your move."

JD swallowed. Not even out of the house and Dr. Cox had already managed to slip in a rant. "Okay, yeah…bar."

The older doctor shook his head as he turned to go, his teeth grinding. JD followed, but remembered to lock his door at the last minute. Maybe his rant had been more of a protective warning.

--

They sat at the bar pleasantly enough, though the ride over had been something else entirely. First it was a five minute argument around the car, Dr. Cox still unsure if he could trust JD in the front seat again. Surprisingly enough, the brunette haired doctor had won.

Next was the radio. The older doctor lost count of the times he had swatted his Newbie's hand away from the knobs. He was in no mood, nor had he ever been the mood, for show tunes. JD argued that there was no such station, unless Dr. Cox had as fancy as a radio as he had a car. When his mentor said nothing, he took it as a silent yes and started searching excitedly for a station he didn't even realize existed until a moment ago. Thus began a whole new set of, "Don't change my music!" and "Newbie, I swear!"

After that argument was over, an argument that was won by Dr. Cox by the way, there was the long discussion of what bar to go to. "Not the usual," Perry groaned. He had agreed to spend a night out with JD, not the kid's fan club, who would undoubtedly be at the bar they most frequently visited.

JD would only go to a bar he'd been to before, which was surprisingly not too many. Dr. Cox decided on the one that made the car ride shorter. So now there they were, sitting at the counter and waiting to be served.

In a manner of minutes, the bartender came over with Dr. Cox's scotch and JD's appletini. "I thought we were getting beers, Nancy."

"You got a scotch," JD shot back.

"At least it's not that fruity number." The Irish doctor made a motion with his hand, waving off the appletini like it was a threat to his sanity.

"Have you ever tried it?"

"No, and I don't plan to."

"Oh, come on! I tried your yuck –" Dr. Cox sent him a look that threatened to knock him senseless if he didn't hurry up and rephrase what he was about to say. JD stopped and cleared his throat before continuing. "I tried your scotch," he finally managed.

"That was forever ago."

"Not _too_ forever ago."

Perry closed his eyes. JD's comebacks were so childish. He didn't know whether to laugh or to deepen the scowl that was already plastered on his face. Before he even realized what he was saying, he spoke. "Give me the damn tini."

JD obliged eagerly, passing over the green colored drink with enthusiasm. The older man glared at the liquid. The piece of apple that was wedged on the top kept its place as Dr. Cox dipped the glass back, letting the sugary substance slide down his throat and settle in his stomach.

He tried.

He tried so, _so_ hard to pretend it had disgusted him. He contorted his face into what he hoped was an appropriate look of distaste, but the three seconds of pleasant surprise that had been there before caught JD's attention more than anything else.

"Ha! You totally liked it!"

"Did not." Dr. Cox grimaced. Wasn't he just thinking how childish his protégé's comebacks were? Now here was, exclaiming "Did not," in an overly defensive manner.

"You _totally_ did."

JD watched as his mentor turned his head away, but not quick enough so that he couldn't see him lick the remainder of what was left of the appletini from his lips. He suppressed a laugh as Dr. Cox drank down his scotch in one swallow, looking almost grateful for the burning sensation he was much more accustomed to. It was going to be a long night.

**_A/N:_**_ Now, now Doctor Cox. No need to get angry just because you enjoy the very drink you've mocked your Newbie for consuming all this time. lol Hope you guys enjoyed! Last chapter will be posted soon. Until next time!_


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N:_ **_The longest chapter yet, though I think it's my favorite one so far. I am sorry this took a bit longer to post than the others though. Even though it was all in my head, it fought against me the whole way through. Go figure. Anyway, I hope you guys like the last chapter of, "Their Night Out." Enjoy!_

**_Disclaimer:_ **_I own Jack. Not Jack as in Dr. Cox's son, but Jack as in…nothing._

**Chapter 3:**

He didn't mean to get drunk. He really didn't.

In fact, it was the last thing he planned on doing. He had no problem with taking a taxi, that wasn't it. He didn't even mind letting the kid see him drunk, because, let's face it, JD had seen him in a worse case scenario. But this was social drinking; just the two of them, and Dr. Cox didn't want to open up more than he had to. Scotch happened to make him just a bit more vulnerable than he would ever care to admit. But then again, he was only _just_ drunk. He had a huge tolerance for alcohol, and it took a lot to get him hammered. JD, on the other hand…

"Mmm," he slurred through a lopsided grin, "Appletinis are _sooo_ good..."

Well, JD was a light weight.

"What number you on there, Newbie?"

JD held up four fingers and wiggled them, almost looking proud. Dr. Cox let out a small laugh. "You're such a girl, Samantha."

"Nuh-uh…" The young doctor took another sip of his drink before blinking rapidly, looking rather confused. "When did I get another one?"

"You ordered it a couple of minutes ago. It's your fourth, remember?"

It was hard for Dr. Cox not to grin as he watched JD's face scrunch up in recollection. "Oh…_Oh_, okay. Now I remember." He held up his hand and wiggled four fingers again. "Four."

"Good girl. You can count." Taking one last sip of his Scotch, Dr. Cox threw the money on the counter, covering JD's bill as well without announcing it. He wondered vaguely if his protégé even noticed.

"Where ya goin'?" JD slurred.

"_We're_ going home. Do you have your cell phone?"

"Uh-huh. Why?"

"Because I left mine at home and you need to call us a cab."

"Mmkay…" JD reached into his pocket, stumbling with the small silver object, wishing it open with hushed, annoyed whispers. Dr. Cox rolled his eyes as he continued watching him struggle with it. "It flips open Newbie, come on now."

"Huh? Oh, right." JD flipped it open, holding it to his ear before dialing, and Dr. Cox heard himself laugh once again as he noticed the phone was upside down. JD caught himself and let out a snorted laugh. "Oopsie."

"Give me the phone, Patricia. I'll call them."

"'Kay," he managed in response.

After Dr. Cox made the call, which took annoyingly longer than necessary due to his protégé's horrible network coverage, he went to hand it back to JD, only to find him not on his bar stool. "Where the - ? Newbie!" He whistled, and realized then that he was in a crowded bar with people that weren't exactly accustomed to that sound. He held up a hand in silent apology, allowing the people to get back to their drinks.

Concern was getting deeper as JD never surfaced from the many people that now filled the bar. He whistled again, but softer, calling out JD's name in what he hoped was a tone void of any hint of fear. He realized somewhere in the back of his mind that his Newbie was behaving like that of a lost dog; not answering to his name or whistles, but undoubtedly wandering around somewhere, wondering where his mentor had taken off. Dr. Cox shook his head at that, but continued his search nonetheless. Seriously, where, was he?

Suddenly, his attention was drawn to the window, where JD stood outside; head cocked ever so slightly as his eyes drifted off into what Dr. Cox could only assume was another day dream.

Relief rather than anger rushed through him as he made his way towards the door, meeting the brunette doctor outside the bar. He watched JD sway towards him, his hands waving wildly, summoning him over. "I see you, Michelle, relax." Suddenly the frustration from not knowing where he had gone replaced the relief, and Dr. Cox found himself crossing his arms as he peered down at JD's drunken expression. "Where were you, Mary?"

JD looked around, confused. "Here!" he finally proclaimed.

"And why'd you leave while I was still on the phone?"

"To wait for the taxi to come."

Perry didn't know what to say. He shouldn't have been so worried. In fact, it annoyed him that he had gotten worked up over what really should have been an obvious explanation, but he let it go with a small scowl. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke up. "Next time wait for me."

"Why's that?" JD asked, genuinely curious.

"Because you're drunk off your ass, that's why, and I have to make sure you don't do anything stupid."

JD hiccupped, and Dr. Cox looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Well, Newbie?"

"Well, what? I don't get drunk a lot, and I don't drive when I am."

"Good girl," Perry muttered.

"I'm notta girl, Per-Per."

Dr. Cox turned to him sharply, his head protesting with a painful ache. "What was that, Sally?"

JD chuckled. "I heard Jordan call you Per-Per once. Ha, ha! 'Per-Per.' That's cute."

"Newbie, I swear to –"

"I'm just teasings you! I won't calls you it again so don't go all angry Perry on me."

"You add an 'S' to the end of things when you're drunk."

"Eh?"

"When you're drunk," he stated again. "You add the letter 'S' to the end of random words. It makes you sound like you have a lisp."

"Nuh-uh."

Dr. Cox scoffed at JD's inability to make a good comeback for about the hundredth time that night.

Minutes passed as they stood outside, JD rocking on his heels in his own little dream land, while the older man continued to pace, waiting impatiently for the taxi to come. At first he had just kept to leaning against the brick wall of the bar, but standing still made it all the more obvious that he was indeed drunk. If he was walking and keeping himself busy, it was harder to notice the world spinning every now and then. At least, he thought while sneaking a quick glance at his day dreaming protégé, he wasn't as obvious a drunk as JD was.

"Taxi here!"

Dr. Cox looked up at JD, noticing instantly how childish that statement sounded with out the "is" in there, but mainly surprised at how perky he sounded for the light weight he really was.

JD caught his mentor's gaze and pointed at the curb, as if thinking he really hadn't heard him from just a moment ago. "Taxi," he repeated.

Dr. Cox sighed as he let out a small whistle, "Come, Newbie."

--

"Where to?"

Dr. Cox looked up at the taxi driver in semi-surprise. For just a moment he had forgotten he hadn't been drinking by himself, which was actually quite a shocker for him… He looked over at JD, who was staring at him expectantly.

Perry hesitated. Should he have the driver drop off JD or just have him spend the night at his place? He wasn't sure if he'd feel completely at ease leaving the kid alone in the state he was in. JD, whenever he did drink, _always_ had other people with him. He never drank alone, which made Perry wonder if he'd know how to handle himself alone too. The answer really depended on just exactly how intoxicated he was.

Dr. Cox held up his hand, wiggling three fingers in front of JD's line of vision. "How many fingers am I holding up here, Newbie?"

JD tilted his head, eyebrows furrowed in serious contemplation. "That's your hand!" he finally exclaimed.

Okay, so that answered that.

Dr. Cox reached over to flick JD's ear before turning to the driver and spilling his home address.

It wasn't long till Perry found it necessary to push the button that separated him and his Newbie from the driver. The looks he kept on giving him and JD were grinding on his nerves, and his nerves were pretty out of whack right now.

A drunken JD didn't make for horrible company though, at least not in the vehicle. Dr. Cox glanced over at the young doctor, surprised at how silent he was being. He had apparently taken to staring out the window, watching in a sort of haze as the night lights flashed by them in a blur. The older man wasn't sure if it was just his own drunken state that made him see a sad sort of look on his protégé's face.

Dr. Cox turned away, resting his head on the back of his seat as he stared on ahead at the road before them. It didn't take long till they were in front of his apartment.

He paid the man quickly, eager to get out of the cab, only to realize that JD, well…JD needed a little help.

He stood up on his own, okay, but he wasn't going anywhere. He leaned against the taxi for support as he looked towards Perry, who was now standing across from him, raising his eyebrows in question.

"Well Newbie? Are you coming?"

"Your apartment?"

"That's right, Layla. I don't trust you by yourself tonight. Now are you coming?"

JD was having trouble at keeping his smile down, but Dr. Cox just rolled his eyes at what the kid was undoubtedly thinking. _"Sleep over at Perry's house!"_ He was practically shouting it with that facial expression of his, but still…he wasn't moving!

Dr. Cox whistled, causing JD to swagger from his spot, but only for a moment. "Newbie…you coming or what?"

"I can't," he finally managed in response.

Dr. Cox sighed. "Why not, Natalie? Left your teddy bear at home?"

JD let out an embarrassed laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck, face slowly turning red. "I can't, um…I don't think I can walk to yours apartment…"

"God, Marsha, you really _are_ a light weight!"

The young doctor only grinned as his mentor approached him, pulling on JD's arm to swing it over his own two shoulders, offering himself as a sort of crutch.

By the time they reached the apartment, JD was able to steady himself just a little bit better. His one hand still clung to his mentor's shoulder for balance, but he didn't have to completely lean on him anymore.

Once inside, Dr. Cox guided him towards the couch, allowing him to collapse on it gratefully. JD looked up at him, his trademark grin in place. "Aren't you sitting?"

Dr. Cox reached for the remote as he threw himself at the couch. He searched aimlessly for five minutes before deciding to stick with whatever game was playing on ESPN.

The two men stared at the TV, shoulders slouched and heads rested against the back cushions. It wasn't that the silence was uncomfortable; it was just that he had so been expecting JD to talk more. To ask those emotional questions he had mentally prepared himself for before this whole night even began, but so far the conversation had stayed on a level he could handle. At the bar they had discussed work and JD had asked how Jack and Jennifer were doing, though at that he had to sneer at his protégé for referring to his daughter as "JD" for about the hundredth time. And in the taxi…in the taxi Dr. Cox could have _sworn_ he looked sad. Damn it. He couldn't believe he was about to ask this, but –

"I don't really get sports, Dr. Cox."

The Irish doctor stopped before he could even continue with the question burning at the tip of his tongue. It took him a moment to register what was just said to him. "What's that now?"

"I don't get sports. They're all the same. All involve a ball, except some you swat and some you kick and some you throw and some you hit and it just gets repetitive."

Dr. Cox could feel his eyebrows climb, startled at JD's mini-rant. But soon after he was grinning, grateful for a conversation he knew he could manage. "And you wonder why I call you a little girl…"

"Lot's o' guys don't like sports, Perry…"

"What about hockey then? If you don't like the 'repetitive ball,' then try watching that one."

JD laughed, making Dr. Cox turn to look at him, surprised yet again. "What's so funny there, Newbie?"

"You're just trying to get me to like the Detroit Red Wings."

Perry scoffed. "And how is that so bad? Hell, if you liked them, I could take you to a game."

Dr. Cox could feel his own eyes widen in surprise with himself at the offer that just flew out of his mouth. JD turned to him, clearly excited by the idea. "Really!?"

God, what was he going to say now? No? JD hadn't even asked, yet he…damn! He must really be drunk…or maybe, just _maybe_, tonight was rather enjoyable, and _maybe_ the idea of going somewhere else with JD wasn't _too_ horrible… Dr. Cox just stuck with shrugging as he uttered a single, "Maybe." JD took that as a huge yes as his grin only widened.

"See you're feeling better," the older doctor said as he continued to stare absently at the TV screen.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You looked…" Dr. Cox swallowed, "_Sad_ on the way home. You, uh…you okay?"

JD looked back towards his mentor, a slight sigh escaping his lips. "I'm fine. I was just…I was just thinking about what could have happened if you said no to this. I was afraid that…that if I screwed up something tonight it would have erased this past week."

"Like getting drunk off your ass?"

"I'm not _that_ drunk right now. I'm just wobbly."

Dr. Cox snickered. "I know, Newbie. It was a joke."

"Oh…"

Silence encompassed them both, and the older doctor knew that JD was waiting for an answer; some reassurance that what took place on that elevator a week ago would not suddenly disappear into nothing. "Look…JD..."

And look he did, clearly startled at the use of his first name. Dr. Cox swallowed his nerves and continued to speak. "I'm not…I'm not a good at…at this." He made a show of waving his hand between JD and himself. "This…this emotion stuff. You know that. You have to know that by now."

JD nodded, showing him he did while also urging him to continue.

"I don't like doing the emotional conversations, I don't. But that doesn't mean I dislike somebody…_necessarily_. Or that I'm angry…_sometimes_."

JD held back a laugh at his mentor's extra words at the end of each statement.

"Anyway," he continued. "You, um…you _are_ good at that stuff. So let's just…let's just leave that to you and leave the other stuff to me, at least for now." Dr. Cox cleared his throat, hoping he didn't say more than necessary due to the damn scotch. He shook his head to regain himself, finally feeling confidant enough to speak again. "So whaddya say there, Newbie, sound like a plan?"

JD nodded, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. This. He liked this. This comfortable air that surrounded them both; this relationship he had been craving for, for almost seven years now. And Dr. Cox was trying his best. It showed in his face and in his words, and JD appreciated it full heartedly. "Yeah, that sounds fine," he finally responded.

Dr. Cox let out a long sigh. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath. "Okay there, Newbie. Now that, that's over with, shut up or go to bed, because I'd re-_heel_-ly like to finish watching the end of this game."

JD grinned. Good old Dr. Cox.

--

Perry awoke the next morning to the TV still blaring in front of him. A slight pressure on his legs caused him to look down to find Newbie using his lap as a pillow. "Fair enough," he muttered. He knew they must've dozed off during the game, so it was no surprise that JD, who had been in a worse state than himself, slumped over in his sleep.

Lucky for them both, their shifts didn't start till 6:00 that night. He'd be able to bring JD back to his own apartment to change and fight off what was undoubtedly going to be one hellish hangover for the kid. Dr. Cox himself was feeling the effects of last night, but to him it was just a slight throb. Newbie, on the other hand…

"Ugh…"

Dr. Cox looked down at JD, one eyebrow raised in an amused fashion as he watched his protégé blink the sleep out of his eyes, looking pained and confused. "Morning, Princess."

"Dr. Cox…?"

"Don't tell me you forgot last night, Newbie. You weren't _that_ hammered."

JD blinked a bit rapidly before realizing exactly where his head was. Feeling embarrassed and rather childish, he sat up with a start, regretting the quick movement instantly. He clutched at his head and grit his teeth. "Ow…"

"Pain killer?"

"Please."

Dr. Cox got up from where he stood, wobbling for only a moment. He came back out a minute later with a glass of water and two aspirin. JD took both gratefully and chugged them down.

"Well?"

"Huh?"

"Did you forget every thing or what, Matilda?"

"No, I remember. I was just confused when I woke up for a second, that's all."

"Alright."

Silence encircled them both, as if waiting for the first one to speak. JD let out a small laugh and Dr. Cox looked up, grateful that he was the one to break it. "What?"

"Yesterday, during work, I told Carla what I told you last night; how I was afraid that if I messed up or something the last week or so would be erased. She said your hug on the elevator was too genuine to be that easily dismissed."

Dr. Cox scoffed, about to say something witty in response, but then it hit them both. They looked at each other, the realization pouring from their expressions in a sudden burst of awakening. "How did Carla know my hug was 'genuine?'"

"The Janitor…"

"What?"

"Yesterday, when the Janitor spilled coffee on me, I asked him if that was necessary, and he said it was because he had to make up for doing that favor. That…favor."

They continued to stare at each other, finally understanding just exactly what went down that day.

"Am I in trouble for this…?" JD finally asked.

Dr. Cox looked at him and sighed. "No, Newbie, it doesn't erase anything. However, I'm going to need your help at work today, with more than just the patients, I mean."

--

Carla stepped inside the elevator doors, smiling to herself. By the looks on both the doctor's faces, their night had gone over well enough. She was proud at the stunt she managed to pull only a week ago, though she did feel bad that the Janitor was now giving Bambi an extra hard time…

The doors opened then, revealing said individual waiting patiently, mop in hand. Janitor stepped inside and looked down at the one nurse he felt something close to caution towards. "What floor?" he asked finally.

"The nurses' station," she responded politely enough. The light lit up and the elevator began its course. "You know," Carla finally spoke. "I was hoping you'd be able to pull off a favor for Bambi without going back to torment him for it. It's not like he knows you did anything."

It was at that precise moment when the elevator decided to stop short. Carla let out a frustrated huff as Janitor simply shook his head. "Not a problem. I'll just call and have them fix it."

He walked over to the phone and dialed. Carla watched on curiously as the Janitor's eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised at whoever greeted him on the other end of the line. He finally cleared his throat as he handed the phone over to the Latina nurse. "It's for you."

Carla raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious. She took the phone from the Janitor rather quickly and held it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"You and Jumpsuit play nice now, okay? Maybe you'll manage to get a 'Genuine hug,' out of the deal."

"Dr. Cox!"

Carla's eyebrows shot up further as she heard JD laughing in the background. "I can't believe you're actually pulling one over on Carla!"

"Shut it, Newbie. I'm working over here."

"I did you guys a favor!" the nurse finally managed to say in response to their prank. She could hear the smirk in Perry's voice when he answered her.

"Maybe, but this is just wa-_hay_ to good of an opportunity to pass up."

Carla heard JD laugh once more in the background as Dr. Cox hung up the phone.

"Well?" Janitor asked, leaning rather casually against the wall.

"We're going to be here for a while."

"Scooter…" he whispered back menacingly.

"_And_ Dr. Cox." As annoyed as she was, she still took some pride in what she had accomplished when she herself made the elevator come to a stop, because really…the idea of Dr. Cox and JD working together on some childish prank would have seemed absolutely ridiculous just a week ago. In fact, it seemed ridiculous now. "I take back what I said earlier, Stretch. You can pick on Bambi just a little longer."

Janitor grinned. "Anything you say."

**_A/N:_**_ I know Carla did them a favor, but I had to have them get her back a little bit for the stunt she pulled. lol Oh! And real quick: The part where Dr. Cox notices JD's head resting on his lap in which he says, "Fair enough," was actually inspired by episode one in season seven. Dr. Cox, Dr. Kelso, and Turk stay up to do research on what's wrong with a patient they all like, and when Dr. Cox wakes up, Kelso's head is resting on his lap, and he responds with a "Fair enough," too._

_Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoyed the sequel. Thanks so much for all the kind reviews and messages you've given me. They helped me out a lot, and I appreciate every one of them. Until next time!_


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